Reviews with content warning for Addiction - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories

Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories by Robert Louis Stevenson

35 reviews

mxine_'s review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

rip henry jekyll you would have loved the fig tree analogy and being genderfluid

Content Warnings

whyjen's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I respect the author a lot for keeping it this short

Content Warnings

moonlitwalk's review against another edition

3.5

dark reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I think I would have enjoyed the first half of this book a lot more if the plot twist hadn't been spoiled before I was born. However, I do find the statement of Dr. Jekyll to be very interesting. I can see why this is a classic, despite me not being able to read it in the intended way.

Content Warnings

hatofulbf's review against another edition

4.25

dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

edwardian_girl_next_door's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I listened to the audiobook read by Alan Howard, one of my favourite actors, and it definitely enhanced my absorption of the story! His cadence, pauses, voices, and emphases all made the tale even more unsettling, even though it's such a famous story with a famous plot twist. Stevenson's word choice is so rich and fruitful that I was at pains to hang onto every word to see where the sentence took me. I also appreciated the horror of vagueness about Hyde -- I think it an underdone trope in the genre, and it's certainly more effective for me than lurid descriptions. I definitely want to look into more of Stevenson's writing because I enjoyed this one so much.

Content Warnings

ladyettejin's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark funny mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

faithtrustpixiedust's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

l0stinth3st4rs's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

this was such an interesting book to read! to give you a brief idea, i'd describe stevenson's the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde as a gothic-vibe novel that explores the themes of the duality of human nature, identity, and morality.

while it feels a bit slow-paced at first, once the story gets going, it's really hard to put down! the mystery of trying to figure out how jekyll and hyde are connected keeps you hooked - even if you already know the twist (for example, from the musical, like me). be advised that it does contain mentions / descriptions of addiction, body horror, drug usage, mental illness, murder, suicide, and violence - they might not be as extreme or graphic as they are in modern literature, but i felt like pointing it out regardless. :)

in terms of language, it's obviously a bit old-fashioned, but you can definitely understand everything / the most from the context. it also switches perspectives towards the end, but it's quite clear who's sharing their side of the story.

overall, it's definitely a classic worth reading if you enjoy victorian literature, psychological horror, and the topic of moral decay. this is not a tale of good vs. evil, as some reviews might suggest, but rather the story of a hypocrite of a man attempting to justify his darker impulses and desires, while refusing to acknowledge they're a part of him - ultimately leaving him to spiral towards his inevitable destruction.

Content Warnings